


Witches, Curses and Kisses

by orphan_account



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern with Magic, Animal Traits, Established Friendship, M/M, Magic, Witch Curses
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-09-03
Updated: 2015-09-19
Packaged: 2018-04-18 19:10:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,165
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4717268
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Hinata begins to grow sharp teeth and even sharper claws, he decides to go to a specialist in breaking curses for advice. What he didn't know was that he'd run into Kenma, who was training there to become a magician... and that he'd become enchanted with Kenma's magical abilities, and even with Kenma himself.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> ah so here's my little kenhina modern magic au that ive been drafting and im super excited to finally get it out because it's been awhile that ive worked on a big multichapter project that i actually had chapter outlines for and all
> 
> so yeah, it's gonna be great. the rating, the ship tags and the character list are subject to change as the story progresses but i promise you that the 'no archive warnings apply' button will stay as it is. aaaaa, exciting, exciting.....

The swinging sign sticking out of the top of the doorframe read _“Fiasco! Curse Reversal and Spell Undoing!”_ Hinata looked at the map on his phone again just in case he’d stumbled across the wrong one. Doubtful, but it was a risk he’d have to take. I mean, he didn’t usually wake up in the morning with claws, and with his teeth sharper than they normally were. Of course, the curse itself happened gradually, with no real rhyme or reason to the symptoms that appeared. When the first signs popped up, he thought it would be temporary, or that he could sleep it off. However, when it wasn’t, he decided to seek out someone else’s advice.

Without any further hesitation, he pushed through the door. The bell at the top of the doorframe chimed, announcing his arrival. As he paused inside the doorway, he decided at once that the building didn’t look magical. It was furnished more like a therapist’s office than anywhere that broke curses. There were grey chairs that were torn and frayed at the edges and looked secondhand, an overstuffed, off-white couch, and bookshelves that lined the wall to the right of him, filled with spellbooks. There was also a minifridge in the corner of the room, with a vase of pink tulips propped up on top of it. 

Hinata eyed the fridge longingly and was considering opening it up just to examine its contents. However, he didn’t get the chance to complete his thought before the door opened. Someone with dark, messy hair rounded the corner, carrying a stack of worn spellbooks. He set them down in front of the bookshelf and turned back to Hinata, a smile on his face. 

“Huh? You have an appointment, right?” he asked. He flipped through his notepad, then jabbed at a spot with his forefinger that Hinata couldn’t see. “Oh, that’s right. Hinata Shouyou. Come on, take a seat, don’t be shy.” 

Hinata sat down on a chair that was worn thin at the armrests. He leaned forward and rested his head on his hand, but didn’t look directly at the other. His face looked familiar. Hinata recognized him as Kuroo Tetsurou, another student that went to his university, and played on his volleyball team. He was a friend of Kenma’s, and a talented middle blocker, but they weren’t really friends. He was more like a friend of a friend, but it was still a relief to see a familiar face. 

“Huh? Kuroo? I didn’t know you worked here,” Hinata said. Then, with his voice rising in excitement, “Does this mean you know magic?”

“Yeah, this place is run by a family friend who got me the job. I’d say I’m good at magic,” Kuroo added. “That’s why I work here, isn’t it?”

“Oh? Show me something! Please!” Hinata said.

Kuroo paused, considering it. “Watch me carefully,” he said, before reaching down to pick up a glass of water beside him and taking a sip. He put it back down, then placed his hand flat above it. The water rose from the glass, weaving around his fingertips before replacing itself neatly where it once was. Kuroo lifted his hand, showing Hinata that his fingertips were dry. 

“Whoa, that’s so cool!” Hinata said. “Do it again!”

“It’s just a trick,” Kuroo admitted, “but it is real magic. Good for showing off at parties. I can’t get too caught up in showing you things, though, since we’re still consulting.”

“Oh, right.” Hinata said, shifting in his seat a little. He was still a little restless after seeing Kuroo’s magic trick, but he tried to calm himself down.

“Now, what kind of curse has been bothering you?” Kuroo asked.

“Well,” Hinata starts. “My eyes are starting to turn a different color, and if you look at my teeth, they’re getting sharp, see?” He bared his teeth for Kuroo, pulling down his lower lip in order to show the other what his incisors looked like. “But that stuff wouldn’t really make a difference if my hand didn’t look like this.”

He held his arm out to Kuroo, bending it at the elbow, fingers curved slightly inward. The hair on the back of his arm was darkening into thick fur as it got closer to his wrist, and his nails were extended into five sharp claws. 

Kuroo inhaled sharply. It didn’t look too bad to him, not like some of the other customers he’d had who were growing tree branches, say, or turning invisible. But for Hinata, it might affect other things in his everyday life.

“When did you first notice it?”

“Like two days ago. My eyes started changing, but I didn’t really pay attention until the thing happened with my arm. You know, like…” He gestured vaguely with both hands, curving his fingers into a claw shape and baring his teeth again. “I don’t really mind it, though, but it could be a problem if it gets worse.”

“Mmm. So, have you come into contact with any magical items lately? Like cursed weapons, or old buildings protected by spells?” Kuroo asked. He seemed to be going down an imaginary list.

“Not really. Oh! Just this thing that my sister gave me. She said that it was a protective charm, but I don’t know if she made it or not. I mean, she is still in middle school.” Hinata reached into his shirt and took out the amulet. It was made of copper and hung on a black thread around his neck, and it essentially looked like an old coin with a hole punched through it. It was clear that it radiated magical energy though, even from across the room. 

“That amulet has a powerful charm cast on it. That must be the reason the curse hasn’t fully affected you yet.” Kuroo shook his head. “It’s difficult to break a curse that hasn’t been completed, but I’ll find a way.”

“So you mean… I can’t get rid of it now?”

“I don’t think so. I’ll need some time to think about a solution.”

“Then will I have to come back later?” Hinata asked.

Kuroo thought about this for a moment. “Hmm. With a case like yours, it’s hard to decide. How about you check in with me every time there’s a change.”

“Oh, okay!” Hinata moved to stand up before he heard the door swing open on the other side of the room. 

“Here’s that potion you wanted,” Kenma’s voice rang out across the room. His hair was pulled back in a ponytail and he was wearing a white apron that was stained with drops of an unidentifiable blue substance. He was also carrying a tray of different shaped vials, all filled with the same cloudy pink liquid. As Hinata watched, he bent at the knees, opening the minifridge and unloading the vials into it one at a time. The fridge, he noted, was filled with other vials of different shapes and colors, and had no actual food in sight.

“Kenma! You’re here too?” Hinata announced, unable to keep the excitement out of his voice.

“Oh. Yeah, I’m in training.”

“He’s my apprentice,” Kuroo corrected.

“I’m his apprentice,” Kenma said. 

“So you know magic, too?” asked Hinata, smiling brightly, a gleam in his eye.

“I can do some. I just don’t know as much as Kuroo does.”

“Show me!” Hinata said, approaching him as he spoke. “Please?”

“Alright, but you’ll need to come outside, since I’m working,” Kenma said. 

Hinata’s eyes were glowing with enthusiasm as he pushed his way out the door. He hurried down the path and into the courtyard outside, waiting patiently. Kenma followed him out at his own pace, but as he turned to leave, he had a smile on his face. The courtyard itself was comprised of a tiny garden behind the shop, with a miniature fountain in the center. There were a couple flower beds growing along the edges, filled with soft purple violets and bright pink and yellow perennials and and sunflowers that towered over the heads of the two boys. The trees were lush and green, although autumn was fast approaching, and some of the leaves were turning gold around the edges and scattering around on the ground.

“What are you going to do? Are you going to transform?” Hinata asked as soon as his friend caught up to him.

“I think you’ve got this confused with a TV show, Shouyou.” Kenma shook his head. 

Kenma motioned at the air in front of him, drawing a circle with his cupped hands, then held them out in front of him, as if he was collecting water from a tap. A glowing orb appeared in his hands, bright and luminous, carrying the appearance of a miniature sun. Hinata reached out to touch it, just to see if it was hot. To his surprise, it was barely warm, a little over body temperature.

“A light that will always shine, no matter where you are...” Kenma announced. He cupped his hands over the sphere, extinguishing it. “At least, that’s the description in the spellbook.” When he opened his hands, a trail of thin white smoke escaped from them and dissipated into the air.

“Wow, Kenma, you’re so cool!” Hinata said, his eyes brightening. 

“Not really,” Kenma said. “It’s just basic conjuring. I don’t find it all that interesting.”

“No, it was, it really was! It was like the sun, but when I touched it, it didn’t burn me, and… and…”

Kenma smiled, and warmth radiated from his expression. “Ah… You really think it’s entertaining, huh?”

“Yeah, I really do!” Hinata said, and the brightness was back in his eyes again. He was tense with excitement, like a coiled spring. “Can you teach me sometime? Please?”

“If you want,” Kenma said. “When I’m not working, I’ll show you something easy. I promise.”

“Huooaaah! Thanks, Kenma!” Hinata said, and smiled brightly. He was looking forward to this.

“Kenma! If you’re done talking to your little friend…”

“Little?!” Hinata exclaimed, whipping around to glare at Kuroo. Kenma, on the other hand, glanced up casually at the mention of his name.

“...I need you to help me find my spellbook. I know you were the last one who organized the shelves!” He waved a little at the two of them before he closed the door.

“I’ll be right there,” Kenma responded, then looked back at Hinata. His expression was apologetic, but his eyes were shining with happiness all the same. “I have to go. I didn’t mean to leave on such short notice, but I am still working.”

“It’s okay! I’ll see you later, alright?”

“Of course. Until next time, Shouyou,” Kenma responded. He glanced at Hinata out of the corner of his eye before turning on his heel and walking away, off towards the back entrance and out of the courtyard. 

 

 

 

 

Hinata had the bad habit of daydreaming during lectures when there was something on his mind. Magic. Kenma. Kenma doing magic. He tried to pick out where Kenma was in the sea of faces surrounding him, only to remember that his friend took a different history course.

He wanted to talk to him about it, but this wasn’t the right time. Kenma had already agreed that he’d teach him something, right? Which meant they’d see each other again for that specific purpose? Hinata wasn’t sure. He chewed on a pencil eraser, watching the professor pace around the front of the room.

He started doodling stars over the top of his paper, considered texting Kenma, making plans. They were close friends, after all, and he got along better with him than he did with his roommates. He tuned in and out of the lecture for long enough to write down a couple lines on his paper below the stars. Then, he continued to think about Kenma, and the glowing ball of light that didn’t burn him, didn’t burn either of them.

_A light that will always shine, no matter where you are…_


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which things don't go well for Hinata and his friends are there to support him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aaaaaaa....... sorry for the long wait ;n; work was kicking my ass and on top of that i got struck with a bad case of writing block before i could start the second chapter... but i did it it's here and i dont care about anything else anymore

Hinata arrived early to the gym that day. 

There were a scattering of students already there for morning volleyball practice. Some of them were chatting, and others were stretching and jogging around the perimeter of the gym. A small group of first years were practicing serves on the other side of the court. Every once in a while, a ball flew past Hinata’s field of vision. Kageyama Tobio, star setter and vice captain, was keeping an eye on them while he stretched out his calves. Heaving a loud sigh, Hinata made a beeline for where he was. He seated himself on the ground next to him, then proceeded to mirror the motion of his stretches.

“You look like you’re thinking hard about something,” Hinata said. “Look, you already have wrinkles. You’re like an old man, Tobio!”

Kageyama sat up, removing his hands from the top of his foot. Then, he wound his fingers in Hinata’s hair, tugged, and pulled him up and into the same sitting position as himself. Hinata winced, letting out a noise of protest. It hurt, for sure, but it wasn’t too bad. Kageyama knew by now what was a fair punishment for teasing and what was just being mean.

“Cut it out,” Kageyama said, simply, then ruffled his hair before releasing him. Hinata rubbed his temples, scowling, and leaned forward again. He grasped at the top of his foot and tugged himself forward, in an attempt to reach as far as possible without straining. They hadn’t really changed since they first met, save for a few small details. In their second year of high school, they began using each other’s given names. By their third year, they were inseparable. 

Despite the constant bickering and teasing that they’d throw back and forth, soon the two of them together were just as familiar as their trademark quick attack. They even applied for the same universities, despite having different goals for the future. Getting into the same school was part choice, part coincidence, part luck. Whatever it was, the two of them blindly seized the opportunity.

Hinata hummed to himself, looking over at Kageyama, then out, to the direction he had been looking towards a moment ago. He didn’t see anything notable, just the first years who were practicing and a group of girls who were giggling and chatting amongst themselves. One of them was handing the manager her clipboard, which she’d forgotten. “So what were you thinking about?”

“Those kids over there,” Kageyama said, and pointed with one hand, sitting up a measure so his gesture was better received by his friend. “I’m watching them, and it’s hard to tell from over here, but I don’t think any of them know all their basics. You know, for serving and jumping and stuff. I feel like for some of them, it’s their first time playing volleyball on a real team.”

“Huh? You mean they haven’t played it in high school?”

“Maybe. Or maybe they just played different sports.”

“Well, if they’re beginners, they can just train harder, right?”

“Maybe,” Kageyama said, and paused. Hinata looked over, and he was looking straight at him. He paled, furrowing his brow.

“Huuu, what’s that look for? You’re really scary when you do that, you know.”

Hey, Shouyou, I got a question for you,” Although Kageyama said this in a nonthreatening way, Hinata froze in surprise. Kageyama took the opportunity to grasp the wrist of his clawed hand and pull it towards himself, throwing Hinata off balance. “What the hell happened to your arm?”

“Oh, that…” Hinata trailed off. He went silent for a few moments, flexing his clawed fingers as Kageyama still tightly clasped his wrist. “I dunno, I think it’s a curse. It started showing up about a week ago, but my hand didn’t really change until yesterday.”

“Huh? I didn’t think you were the type to go and interfere with dark magic.”

“What?” Hinata stuttered out, going a bit pale. “When you talk about dark magic so casually, it’s scary…”

“You’re the one with a curse on you, idiot.” Kageyama reached out, index finger coiled beneath his thumb, and gave Hinata’s forehead a solid flick before leaning back. He switched position, tucking in his right foot, and stretched out his other leg. “I don’t know whether it’s dark magic or not. Usually when someone’s growing fangs, though, it’s dark magic.”

Hinata didn’t know whether to react to the attack on his forehead first, or the statement that he was growing fangs. He settled for responding to both. “Ow! That really hurt,Tobio!” He touched his forehead with his fingertips, as if checking for bruises. He then let his hands fall by his sides again, all thoughts of stretching forgotten. “And they aren’t fangs, either.”

“Then what are they?”

Hinata paused, thinking on this for a moment. “I don’t know what they are.”

Their discussion must have been louder than they thought, because it caught the attention of the team’s captain himself. Daichi Sawamura was standing beside the two of them, a smile on his face. He bent his knees and squatted next to them to get on their level before dropping to a seated position on the floor. “What’s this I hear about magic?”

After playing under his guidance in high school, it was sheer coincidence that he was their captain here as well. But somehow, it was a good thing. Daichi was familiar with their playing styles, not to mention how they coordinated themselves on the court as spiker and setter. He could use that familiarity to his advantage, and with the duo’s quick attack as their trump card, they won a lot of games that way.

“Oh, ah… I’ve got this curse on me,” Hinata explained. “We were just discussing it, and…”

“Aren’t you worried about it affecting how you play?”

Both of them looked back at Daichi. Admittedly, the thought had crossed their minds, but neither of them had mentioned it or even thought it would come up. Despite Kageyama being co-captain, Hinata was such an important part of his team that he just mentally brushed it off to deal with later.

“No way!” Hinata insisted at once. “I can play just fine! And besides, I spike with my right hand! This is my left,” he said, holding it up and wiggling his fingers.

Daichi was no stranger to his enthusiasm, but he still looked a bit taken aback. His expression soon shifted into a more neutral one, however. “Mmm. And have you been seeing someone for it? A sorcerer, a witch, or someone who specializes in breaking curses?”

“Yeah! I’ve been seeing Kuroo. He works at that enchantment shop, you know, I think it’s called Fiasco?”

“Why don’t I call him? He’s the captain of our neighboring school, after all, so he knows a thing or two about volleyball himself. If he knows the details of your curse, he’ll know whether you should play or not.” Hinata made a move to protest, but Daichi was already pulling out his phone.

Daichi pressed the phone to his ear, and the two boys picked up on a few faint strains of dialtone before he spoke into the receiver.

“Oh. Hey, Tetsurou.”

Hinata glanced over at Kageyama, silently forming the syllables for ‘Tetsurou’ with his lips. Kageyama shrugged and glanced over at Daichi again. There was silence, before Daichi spoke.

“What? Tetsurou, you’ve never called me that nickname before.” Pouting, Daichi spoke again, too quickly for Kuroo to have responded. “Oh, and do you have a minute? I need to talk about Hinata’s curse. He told me he’s spoken to you about it, and I need to know if it’ll affect him while he’s playing volleyball.”

Silence.

“Mmmhmm. Middle blocker.”

Kageyama and Hinata exchanged a nervous glance. There was another pause on their end, one that lasted for a longer time. 

“Yeah? I only noticed his hand, but come to think of it, his features do look different too. Mmm, I’ll pass along the message.”

There was another pause, then Daichi sighed. He pulled the phone from his ear, pressing a button and ending the call. After slipping his phone into his pocket, he turned to the two boys sitting in front of him.

“Bad news. Tetsurou doesn’t think it’s a good idea to play with that curse.”

“What? Why?” Hinata’s voice came out as indignant and maybe a little upset, but that information was just hard to process right now. 

“Well, basically, what he said was, with the type of curse you have, it’s normal for your physical strength to be affected too. But when it isn’t fully cast like that, there’s no telling when that feature will show up. It’s kinda… volatile that way. His advice was for you to put a hold on playing until you found a way to break it.”

“What?” Hinata said. “Can’t I at least play in practice matches, or something?”

Daichi glanced down at Hinata’s hand uneasily. “Tetsurou said that it would be a good idea for you to come to practice, but to answer your question, we’re going to try to keep you off the court for now.”

“Well, why do I have to listen to what he says? And why are you listening to what he says? He doesn’t even play on our team!” Hinata stood and took a step towards Daichi, emphasizing his words. 

“I know he’s not on our team, but he does play at another school. And I trust him,” Daichi added this last part as an afterthought. 

“It’s not fair!” Hinata announced, loud enough to turn a few heads. “Won’t I need to train for nationals?”

“Hinata, just wait a minute, we can work something out…”

Hinata moved to speak again, probably to reject any offer that Daichi gave him. He paused, however, when he felt Kageyama tugging at the hem of his jersey from his position on the floor.

“Shouyou.” Kageyama said, to further try and grab his attention. He stood up, then without hesitating, planted both hands on Hinata’s shoulders. His expression wasn’t cheerful or encouraging; it was rather neutral, actually. “It’s gonna be okay,” he said, in a gruff tone that didn’t match his comforting words at all.

Hinata’s shoulders stiffened. Kageyama had caught him off guard and almost frightened him, but more importantly, he had distracted him. “What do you mean?”

“No, trust me,” Kageyama continued. “Nationals aren’t until spring, so it’ll just be practice games until then. And if you’re worried about getting rusty, I’ll practice with you whenever you want.”

Hinata had looked and felt irritated up until then, but now, he had an expression of curiosity. “Really?”

“Yeah. I’ll toss for you, and we can do receives, and, uh.” He paused for a few seconds. “It won’t be the same as being on a team, but I’ll try to make up for it, I guess…”

“I just don’t want it to be forever,” Hinata said, and there was bitterness in his tone. “I don’t wanna stop playing because of some stupid dark magic that I don’t even know how to undo. I don’t even think Kuroo knows how it’s supposed to work, or Kenma, even though he’s just an apprentice, or something. And Kuroo’s like, a super powerful wizard. He’s supposed to be good with dark magic and curses… I just…”

He trailed off, before speaking again. “I just wish I knew what to do about this.”

 

 

 

Later that day, Hinata rode his bike into the city. There wasn’t much traffic when he first started out on his journey, but he encountered more and more the closer he got. Finally, he chained his bike to a streetlamp, then started towards the coffeeshop where he would meet Kenma. The sidewalk was crowded and hard to navigate, but the amount of people dwindled the closer he got to his destination. Soon, the building was in view, the red awning a beacon in the summer haze. When he arrived at the front entrance, he easily spotted Kenma sitting at a table in the front. His eyes were downturned, fixated on his phone, and he wore a pale blue sweater.

“Kenma!” Hinata called, and Kenma looked up. He looked surprised, at first, but soon that expression was replaced with a content smile.

“Shouyou. I’m glad you came,” he responded. Hinata circled around and made his way to Kenma’s table, then seated himself down across from him. He was still feeling a bit out of sorts from this morning, but somehow, being around Kenma made it better. At least a little.

“Yeah. I almost didn’t make it, though,” Hinata said.

“Why?”

“I took my bike here, right? Well, there was a ton of traffic, even on the bike lanes. I needed to avoid a bunch of people when I was crossing the street.”

“You need to be more careful,” Kenma said. 

“Yeah, I know,” Hinata said, sighing. “Hey, I’m gonna get myself a drink. Stay right here, okay?”

He circled around and made his way inside. There, he stood in line behind a small group of teenage girls in brightly colored jackets who were chatting, texting, and ordering lattes. He returned to the table with a strawberry milkshake and set it down on the table at his place.

“Strawberry?” Kenma asked, gesturing at the drink. 

“They were out of chocolate.”

“You seem tense.”

“Really?” Hinata asked. Truthfully, he was tense, but that was before. He felt pretty okay now that he was removed from the situation, but still, the issue hadn’t been resolved for him. Kenma’s perception was spot-on, though. He instinctively looked down at himself, down at his hands to make sure that there wasn’t a residual tremor… “How could you tell?”

“I guess I’m just more perceptive since Kuroo started teaching me spells,” Kenma admitted, then added, “I can sense it in your energy... that you’re stressed about something.”

Hinata sighed. “Sawamura said that I couldn’t play any more volleyball until the curse was lifted. It sucks, and I was really looking forward to our next practice game, but I won’t be able to play in it now.”

“Ah…” Kenma mused out loud. “Does Sawamura know about your curse?”

“Kuroo told him, I think. He was on the phone for a while.” Hinata took a sip of his milkshake directly from the glass. When he set it down, he had whipped cream on his nose. 

“Hold still,” Kenma said. “You have something on your face.”

Hinata froze, but did as he asked. His eyes were squeezed shut tight as he waited, mouth set in a thin line. Kenma reached out, and with his thumb, he swiped the cream off of Hinata’s nose. 

Hinata opened one eye, hesitating for a moment. “Did you get it?”

“I got it,” Kenma repeated, and wiped his thumb off on the tablecloth. 

Hinata relaxed a little, his shoulders slumping, and then burst into a fit of giggles. “Gross,” he muttered under his breath.

“Would you rather have me leave it there?” Kenma asked, raising a brow and lifting his hand again to prop his chin up with it.

“No,” Hinata said, and rested his chin on his hand, mirroring Kenma. He waited for the other to say something back, but he seemed just as distracted as he was. Satisfied with this, he proceeded to zone out.

He thought about his situation for awhile. He hadn’t focused too much on his curse until it affected more than his features. However, now that it was keeping him off the volleyball court, it made him really start to think about it. He didn’t expect it to progress this far, but now, even Kuroo didn’t know what it was. What was it, anyway? He didn’t know much about magic himself. He didn’t even know how to do it. Maybe it was a shapeshifting spell? He could be turning into a lion! Or a cheetah! Maybe if he was combined with a cheetah, he’d be able to jump higher? Or was that a tiger? Oh no, what if his head hit the ceiling during practice, and...

“You’re okay now, right, Shouyou?” Kenma asked. Hinata blinked, raising his head up off of his hand. 

“Yeah, I’m fine,” he said. “I was mad when Sawamura told me I couldn’t play, but Kageyama took me aside and tossed for me until I got tired out. I was fine after that… well, I think I passed out at one point. Either that, or I threw up. I don’t remember which… I really was exhausted, we stayed there awhile after morning practice was over.”

Kenma winced. “Well, I guess if it works.”

“Yeah, Kageyama’s scary sometimes, but he always knows how to help. Well, most of the time,” Hinata said. He took a long sip of his milkshake, then wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

“Mmm,” Kenma agreed. “Hey, I learned a new trick, if you want to see it.”

Hinata’s eyes lit up. “Aah? Show me, show me!”

Kenma closed his eyes, looking like he was deep in thought. He concentrated, and creases appeared on his brow. He clasped his hands, weaving his fingers together, then released them just as quickly. To Hinata, that didn’t seem like part of the process, but when he separated them, his pointer finger glowed with a faint red light. He traced a circle in the air, and it stayed there, glowing with a soft red light. It hung in midair before fading away several seconds later.

“That’s so cool,” Hinata breathed, then, louder, “You should draw me!”

Kenma frowned at his suggestion, but set to work scribbling something in the air and soon came up with a vague scribble of a grinning Hinata with animal ears and sharp teeth. Hinata smiled and clapped his hands together out of excitement.

“See, it looks just like me!” he said. As the doodle faded, Kenma started drawing symbols and writing words. Flowers and half-moons and stormclouds appeared in the air in front of them, only to fade after a few moments. Hinata followed his hand with his eyes, looking up and down as he drew in the air. 

Hinata’s eyes lit up as the designs in the sky faded away. “That was so cool, Kenma. I wish I could do magic like that.”

“Not everyone has magical talent, but with your motivation, I’m sure you could learn,” Kenma said. “It just takes concentration. I’ll show you something, if you’d like.”

“Really?” Hinata asked, leaning forward to emphasize his words. He nearly knocked his drink over in his excitement, but he quickly righted it again before any of the liquid spilled.

“Of course. Why do you think I invited you out here?” Kenma said, in a matter-of-fact tone. “Now cup your hands in front of you, palms up.”

“Okay,” Hinata said, his voice faltering, but he did as Kenma asked. Kenma reached over and grasped the undersides of Hinata’s hands, being careful of his claws. 

“I’m going to show you a trick that Kuroo taught me, one that’s good for beginners. You’ll be summoning something out of thin air. Try to pick a leaf from that plant over there,” he said, gesturing at a bush several meters away from them. “You can’t do it without leaving your seat, right?”

Hinata hesitated, before nodding. “You’re right. But what do leaves and stuff have to do with magic?”

“Close your eyes and focus,” Kenma said, and squeezed the backs of Hinata’s hands, circling his thumbs around to press them into Hinata’s palms. He centered his hands above the table, then, he let go. “Think about what you want to do.”

Hinata tried to focus. He thought about the leaves, and visualized picking one. Then, he thought about his milkshake, and how it was probably melting. He wondered if he should at least eat the whipped cream before it dissolved. He peeked open one eye, only to see Kenma looking back at him.

“Focus, Shouyou.”

“Oh, right, sorry,” Hinata said. He visualized the leaves again, really thought about them, focused his mind on a single one and imagined it appearing in his hand. When he opened his eyes, it wasn’t there… well, at least, not all of it. Sitting there in the palm of his cursed hand was half of a stem.

“Hey, I did it! Well, almost,” HInata said, picking the stem up off of his palm and looking at it. “But I still did it!” He looked very excited about this, the fact that he pulled it off.

“You did,” Kenma said. Now that the spell was completed, he proceeded to drink the rest of his coffee. “That was good for a beginner.”

Hinata beamed. “Thanks, Kenma!” 

He couldn’t wait to show everyone on his team his new trick. Maybe he’d materialize a coin out of his pocket! Or maybe it would end up being half a coin? Hehe, that would be funny. Would it be split in half down the middle, or across? If it was split across its side, wouldn’t that make two coins? Wow, if he did this enough, he’d be rich…

“Don’t mention it,” Kenma replied, breaking him out of his daydream. “Hey, while we’re here, is there anything else you want to see?”

Hinata hesitated. If Kenma was talking about magic, there was a lot that he wanted to see. But when it came to the spell itself, he didn’t know what the other boy knew. He didn’t even know what sort of tricks existed. He glanced at his phone, then out and away from the cafe.

“We could see the sunset.”

 

 

They took a walk through town. Golden sunlight beamed through the spaces between buildings, like the rays were reaching out to them, but every time Kenma wanted to stop, Hinata insisted that they go further. He stopped in front of a tall building, craning his neck to see how far it went.

“That’s the Tokyo Tower, isn’t it? We can watch the sunset from the top!”

“That’s just an ordinary apartment building, Shouyou,” Kenma said. “We’re nowhere near the Tokyo Tower. How long have you been going to university here?”

“It’s my second year,” Hinata said, and pulled a face at him, causing the blonde to laugh. “And we can ride the elevators anyway, can’t we?”

The doors were unlocked, and the halls were empty, all the way down to the elevators. The pair rode them in silence, besides a few quiet remarks about the length of the ride and whether or not they’d get stuck. 

The top floor was dismal, with cracked floors and a few flickering lights. It made Hinata a little bit nervous, and he tried to get through it as quickly as possible. There was a small staircase at the end of the hall, and when the pair climbed it, it led directly up to the roof.

The wind was brisk and cold, and the distance from the top to the ground was a little dizzying. As soon as Hinata saw the drop, he backed up towards the door again, and Kenma followed. (He didn’t have a fear of heights, he insisted afterwards, but the sight of the ground below them would give anyone that fear.) However, when they saw the sunset, all of their previous thoughts vanished.

It lit up the sky with hues of pink and gold and violet, stretching far across the planes of the horizon. The sun was only just touching the edge of the earth, but the sky around it was dyed every color imaginable. Hinata’s eyes opened wide as he watched, obviously in awe. 

“Uwaah, it’s so pretty! Look, Kenma!”

“I see it,” Kenma replied, and although he didn’t sound as excited as Hinata, when he glanced over at him he had a smile on his face.

Hinata held out his thumbs and forefingers, forming a square. He squinted as he tried to frame the sun in his makeshift box. Kenma looked over at him, and when he saw what he was doing, he laughed. There was nothing but kindness in his laughter, however, and hearing it brought a smile to Hinata’s face.

“What are you doing?” he asked.

“Nothing, really,” Hinata admitted. “I was just messing around.”

Instead of pressing the issue further, Kenma responded, “Well, I can do that too.” 

As Hinata watched, Kenma closed his eyes and concentrated. Soon, his fingers were lit up with a bright red light. Hinata recognized it as the spell that he had shown him at the cafe. He drew lines in the air, forming a box, and smiled. “See?”

Hinata started laughing, from how ridiculous the situation was combined with sheer happiness. Kenma blinked for a moment before he started laughing too, and before they knew it, they were both caught up in it. It took a couple seconds for them to pause and breathe, but after a while, they did.

“Should we go back?” Hinata asked.

Kenma nodded. “Yeah.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i feel like this chapter sets the scene for the story more so than chapter 1. this one's a little longer than the first chapter, and i'll probably continue to write long ones, maybe, possibly. if work continues to kick my ass, i might write another 2k chaper, but if im proud of it thats just as good ;m;

**Author's Note:**

> ah so like i said im super excited about this fic in general and im so excited that im gonna do dedications for it
> 
> this piece of work is dedicated to my lovely datefriend who got me into hq in the first place and helped read over the first chapter to make sure it didn't suck, montague for being my go-to hq friend and always being there to talk about iwaoi, and mari for introducing me to the idea of modern magic au's in the first place. i love all of u, pls stay cool for me B)
> 
> also
> 
> On 9/2/15, at 11:38 PM, ♡ wrote:  
> > kuroo: what seems to be the problem  
> > hinata: I'M TURNING INTO A FURRY


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